While driving along a highway, it is often difficult and sometimes impossible to obtain current upcoming highway information. Desired information might include, but is not limited to, distance to the next exit, food stops at selected upcoming exits, fueling stations at selected upcoming exits, and upcoming traffic delays. There are other times when the distance between speed limit signs or interstate highway designation signs are excessive and it may become frustrating for a driver to spend excessive time looking for these designations. Currently there is no convenient way to automatically obtain this type of information.
Airports and some amusement parks have used standard radio transmissions to transmit information, but these methods are not automatic as the driver must tune to a selected unused radio frequency, usually designated by a highway sign. Also, the information presented to the driver comes over the automobile radio with no way for the user to customize what information is presented. Transmitters may be able to broadcast many different types of information; however, at any one time, a driver may be interested in only certain selected information. It would be desirable for a driver to have a method for screening such information. It would also be desirable for the driver to have a method for electing whether information is presented visually (written words) or via a voice enunciation system.
An automobile driver may also experience a change in traffic or highway conditions while traveling. These conditions may be dynamic enough that it leaves little time for a stationary system transmitting essentially static data to be updated. In these cases, it would be beneficial for a selected automobile to be able to transmit/receive data to/from other automobiles coming from the direction towards which the selected automobile is traveling.
There is, therefore, a need for a method and apparatus that allows relevant highway information to be automatically transmitted and received by automobiles traveling along the highway.